Integrated Studies Research Review

Students at Bates Middle School in Annapolis, MD, learn about art concepts such as photo composition (above) that are integrated into other curricula like math. Phot

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Students at Bates Middle School in Annapolis, MD, learn about art concepts such as photo composition (above) that are integrated into other curricula like math. Phot

Editor's Note: This article was originally written by Vanessa Vega, with subsequent updates made by the Edutopia staff.

Integrated studies is a great way to get students more involved in school; it enhances motivation, problem-solving skills, content knowledge, and deeper understanding of connections across subjects. In Edutopia’s integrated studies research review, discover seven key approaches in effective curriculum integration, get our specific recommendations on evidence-based practices and programs, learn about pitfalls to avoid, and dig into an annotated bibliography of studies supporting the efficacy of integrated studies practices.

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What Is Integrated Studies?

Integrated studies involves the combination of two or more subjects in a lesson, project, classroom, or curriculum. Teachers can draw interdisciplinary connections by making relationships between different subjects explicit, and/or by working with other teachers in teams across subjects. For example, science and English language arts teachers may have students read multiple texts about a scientific issue that is relevant to their lives or community, then ask them to evaluate the evidence and reasoning of the various texts in a collaborative discussion and write a persuasive essay in which they take a stance on the issue.

Teachers can also make connections between subjects by using different disciplinary approaches to solve a problem. For example, a teacher may assign students the task of designing or constructing a bridge while learning about the history of famous bridges, bridges in poetry and literature, as well as mathematical principles and engineering processes involved in building bridges.

Teachers can also integrate students’ community and/or career interests by co-creating curricula that addresses themes that students would like to address, using content standards as a guide. For example, students may be required to master a specific set of content standards by addressing a need in their community, by conducting independent research on a career-related interest, and/or by participating in an internship program.